Replaceable tooth for excavating implements and the like



June 4 T. A. RATKOWSKI 7,202

REPLACEABLE TOOTH FOR EXCAVATING IMPLEMENTS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 7, 1940 INVENTOR.

Patented June 24, 1941 REPLACEABLE TOOTH FOR EXCAVATING IMPLEMENTS AND THE LIKE Chicago Heights, 111., as-

Thomas A. Ratkowski,

signor to The America ry Company, New Yo Delaware in Brake Shoe and Foundrk, N. Y., a corporation of Application August 7, 1940, Serial No. 351,719

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to teeth for excavating implements and the like, and particularly to renewable teeth of such construction as to retain their sharpness during their normal period of usefulness.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel tooth for excavating implements and the like characterized by its ability to retain its sharpness during its normal period of usefulness. V

The development in the art in respect to dipper teeth of such a construction as to retain their sharpness during normal use is fairly repre sented in the McKee Patent No. 1,395,048, wherein the structure provided was intended to assure a sharp tooth as the same progressively wore so as to retain the sharpness of the original tooth during its useful wearing life. Such structure is of particular value in that the tooth does not become dull or blunt during its progressive wear, thus resulting in a tooth having maximum efficiency throughout its life. These desirata insofar as the McKee structure is concerned, have not been experienced in actual practice for the reason that it was found that the marginal ribs, because of their relative proportion to the intervening panel space therebetween, did not wear as originally contemplated, so that after some wear had taken place on the tooth point the marginal edges of the tooth became blunt, requiring repair or replacement in order to provide an effective digging instrument. This lack of wear on the marginal ribs can undoubtedly be attributed to the fact that large particles of the material being excavated, upon contacting the said marginal ribs, tended to slough off or be directed intothe relatively wide panel or trough between the ribs, thus decreasing the wear which might be experienced on the said ribs during the use of the tooth under actual digging operations.

The present invention has therefore been predicated upon a desire to form, a tooth which will maintain its sharpness throughout its useful wearing life, the said structure being fundamentally characterized by a presentation of ribs at intervals throughout the width of the tooth such that the large particles ofomaterial will be supported between the ri bs during their normal movement over the working surfaces of the tooth point so-as to cause greater uniformity and evenness in the wear taking place throughout the width of the tooth to maintain the proper chisel or knife edge characteristic of the tooth in its original form and to maintain this relation of the wearing surfaces throughout its normal wearing period.

The tooth point characterizing the present contribution in the art is formed with its upper and lower wedge surfaces provided with a plurality of relatively narrow elongated grooves ex tending from adjacent the apex of the wedge body longitudinally rearwardly and which grooves are defined marginally by relatively narrow ribs to secure the uniform wear above referred to and to provide stiffening members reinforcing the tooth in a lateral direction to prevent bending of the tooth during actual use.

While theinvention in its broadest aspect contemplates the fiuted or serrated construction embodied in tooth structures of various designs, the invention, as specifically shown, is embodied in a tooth having divergent jaws forming a crotch therebetween and having rearwardly extending tangs providing attachment means for securing the tooth to a tooth base, the said fluted or serrated formation for the wedge surfaces extending rearwardly beyond the crotch to provide a sharp tooth during normal wear of the said tooth down to substantially the crotch thereof, and to further provide for normal and uninterrupted passage of the material into which the tooth is projected to facilitate loading, of such material into the excavating implement to which these teeth are secured.

Other objects, features, capabilities and advantages are comprehended by the invention, as will later appear and as are inherently possessed thereby. 1

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a dipper tooth embodying structure according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the dipper tooth shown in Figure l'of the drawings; and

Figure 3 is a View in section taken in the plane represented by line 3-3 of Figure 2 of the drawing.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, an embodiment selected to illustrate the invention is shown as comprising a wedge body 2 having its apex 4 presented forwardly in digging position and including the upper and lower diverging Wearing faces 6 and 8 extending rearwardly to provide the divergent jaws I0 and 02, respectively, spaced apart to form the crotch I 4 defined laterally by the transverse walls I6 providing a socket for receiving a tooth base upon which the tooth is to be mounted in use. Ex

tending rearwardly from the jaws I 0 and I2 are the tangs l8 and 20', respectively, which provide therebetween a longitudinal slot 22 which receives the tooth base above referred to, these tangs l8 and 20 being provided with the aligned substantially rectangular formed openings 24 adapted to receive a key for attaching the tooth to the said base.

The present invention is directly particularly to structural features which adapt the tooth to retain its original sharpness during its normal periodof usefulness, and, accordingly thejvedge body 2 forming the tooth of the drawings has incorporated in the upper and lower wearing faces 6 and 8 a plurality of relatively narrowelongated grooves 26 laterally spaced throughout tooth to retain-its-sharpness during its normal the width of the tooth and marginally defined longitudinally by the ribs 28, the said-grooves extending rearwardly longitudinally ofthe axis of the tooth and beyond the crotch formed by the spaced divergentjaws l and I2.

This serrated or fluted construction has the distinct advantage of providing bearing surfaces spaced sufficiently close together for the relatively large particles of material being excavated such that the said material during the normal pro- Jection of the tooth into the same has bearing engagement with the said ribs, causing'substanplace on' the tooth. This wear resulting from the ribs 28 as well as on the tooth point intermediate the same causes the tooth to retain its sharpness during its normal period of usefulness, and it'has been found that such a contour for the forwardly presented end of the tooth maintains during progressive wear of the tooth rearwardly to substantially the crotch of said tooth so that sharpening, welding or otherwise repairing said tooth becomes unnecessary during its useful life. It is of course understood that as the tooth progressively wears to adjacent the crotch of the body, that it becomes necessary to replace: the tooth, but because of the sharpness retained by the toothduring such wear, repair of said tooth becomes unnecessary to secure maximum performance thereof.

While I have herein described and upon the drawing shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may comprehend other constructions, arrangements of parts, details and features without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A dipper tooth comprising a wedge-shaped body having at least one of its wedge surfaces formed with a plurality of grooves extending longitudinally of said body adapted to cause said tooth to retain its sharpness during its normal period of usefulness.

period of usefulness.

.4. A dipper tooth comprising a wedge-shaped bodyhaving its wedge surfaces formed with a plurality of grooves extending longitudinally of said body thereby adapting said toothto retain its sharpness during its normal period of use fulness.

5. A dipper tooth comprising a wedge-shaped .body having-its wedge surfaces formed with a plurality of relatively narrow elongated grooves extending longitudinally of said body and defined marginally in a longitudinal direction by relatively narrow ribs adapted to provide for substantially uniform wear of the tooth throughout its width whereby the same retains its sharpness.

during its normal period bf usefulness.

6. A dipper tooth comprising a wedge-shaped body having its'wedge surfaces formed with longitudinal marginal ribs and one or more longitudinally disposed intermediate ribs forming a plurality -of longitudinally extending grooves therebetween thereby adapting said tooth to retain its sharpness during its normal period of usefulness.

7. A dipper tooth comprising a wedge-shaped body provided with rearwardly extending jaws for securing said tooth to a tooth base, said body having its upper and lower wedge surfaces formed with a plurality of elongated grooves extending longitudinally of said tooth and defined marginally by relatively narrow ribs adapted to provide for substantially uniform Wear of the tooth throughout its width whereby the same retains its sharpness during its normal period of usefulness.

2. A dipper tooth comprising a wedge-shaped or more longitudinally disposed intermediate ribs.

forming a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves therebetween thereby adapting said 8. A digging tooth for excavating implements,

for receiving a tooth base upon which the tooth is to be mounted in use, a pair of tangs rearwardly extending from said jaws for attaching said tooth to said tooth base, said body having' its upper and lower wedge surfaces formed with a plurality of elongated grooves extending longitudinally of said tooth and defined marginally by relatively narrow ribs adapted to provide for substantially uniform wear of the tooth throughout its width whereby the same retains its sharpness during its normal period of usefulness.

9. A digging tooth for excavating implements, comprising a body portion in the form of a wedge with its apex presented forwardly in digging position and upper and lower diverging wearing faces extending rearwardly to provide spaced divergent jaws providing a crotch therebetween for receiving a toothbase upon which the tooth is to be mounted inuse, apair of tangs rearwardly extending from said jaws for attaching said tooth to said tooth base, said body having its upper and lower wedge surfaces formed with a plurality of elongated grooves extending longitudinally from adjacent said apex rearwardly beyond said crotch and defined marginally by relatively narrow ribs adapted to provide for substantially uniform wear of the tooth through- THOMAS A. RA'I'KOWSKI. 

